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Liam was holding him in his arms, or at least as well as he possibly could considering that Theo was three inches taller than him and not very receptive to being held. Still, Liam didn't care. He was going to give Theo a hug if it killed both of them. 

As much as Liam had hated Theo in the beginning, he couldn't bring himself to be angry at him anymore. He'd saved him, multiple times, and deep down he knew that what grudge he'd had against him had fallen away somewhere in the hospital elevator one of those times. If it were still there at all, it had definitely disintigrated back when Theo told him he wouldn't die for him, laying on the elevator floor with the echoing of a skipped heartbeat.

So he was hugging Theo. And even more surprising than that, the chimera wasn't punching him in the face or even just pushing him off. He wasn't hugging back, his arms down at his sides awkwardly and pinned, but it was enough for Liam.

In the middle of the hospital, blood still all over their shirts and pants and the floor, Liam had his arms wrapped around him, and he wasn't letting go. Liam knew it was tight and probably uncomfortable, but he needed it, and something told him Theo did too. Taking Gabe's pain had made him vulnerable, and the chimera looked about ready to crack around the edges until he finally collapsed. Liam planned to be there to make sure that didn't happen, or that he could at least catch him when his knees finally gave out. 

Mason, Corey, and Nolan were all being checked out by Melissa, and the bodies that had once been laying all along the hospital floor had been dragged quickly out of the way, leaving them alone in the buzzing and flickering lights. The only traces of scent they had were from each other and their blood, but Liam was somehow relieved. He didn't know how Theo might react if he smelled any of the hunters or pack members on him. He surely wouldn't allow him to hold him so close.

"What are you doing?" Theo mumbled after a few minutes, his head resting on Liam's shoulder. Liam was pleased that he had, even if subconsciously, allowed himself to do that.

"Hugging you," Liam said firmly. "Because you deserve it."

"Oh." Theo stayed still, and the silence went on. "Any chance you're going to stop doing that soon?"

"No," Liam refuted, hugging him even tighter. "You're not getting away from me until you realize what you did."

At that, Theo tensed, and Liam immediately realized what he had said wrong. "Wait-" He tried, but Theo was already pulling himself out of Liam's arms, using his strength until Liam finally let him go. 

"Really?" Theo asked incredulously, stepping back from him. "Are you kidding me right now? After all of that? What are you trying to play at?" He spat, and Liam could see the walls coming right back up, the ones he had been working to break down. The beta was suddenly left scrambling. "Don't," He warned when Liam opened his mouth and stepped forward. "Just let me go."

"No!" Liam shouted when Theo turned away. He couldn't let him leave the hospital without him. Something was telling him that Theo didn't mean just leaving the building when he said 'go,' and that didn't sit right at all with him. "Theo, that's not what I meant!"

"So what did you mean?" Theo demanded, turning back around just to scowl at him. Where Liam would have expected to see anger, there was a look of hurt and betrayal on his face that made Liam's stomach turn over. "Did you mean to tell me about something else I did? I know I'm not a good guy, but you don't have to rub it in my face, Liam!"

"Can you just-"

"I know that I killed Scott, I know that I killed my pack, that I should be in Hell, or whatever you said, but you don't have to use the one thing I need to make me see it, you fucking-"

"Can you just shut up?" Liam yelled over him, the sound of it bouncing off the white walls stained red. Liam took a deep breath and huffed it out, the air seeming heavy and painful in his lungs, but it was worth it as Theo finally quieted. "That wasn't what I meant at all, Theo." Carefully, he took another step closer, smiling a little when Theo didn't step back. "I meant that you need to know you did a good thing. You know that, right?" Liam asked, not expecting an answer. Theo stayed silent, and his smile turned sad. "You always see the worst in yourself."

"Well, there's not much else," Theo snapped, though the power in his voice was waning. "So what if I took someone's pain, Liam? It's not like it's going to erase the things I did in the past."

Liam took another step, but made sure not to be in Theo's face. "No," he agreed, knowing that Theo had said what everyone else had been thinking, but Liam saw it differently. "Nothing will do that. That's true. But it's a step in the right direction."

A flash of emotion drifted across Theo's irises and his expression faltered before he hardened it again. He folded his arms over his chest defensively and stayed quiet, just looking at Liam like he didn't believe him. All he looked was uncomfortable, dried blood all over him and not knowing what to say. 

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?" Liam asked softly, now close enough that he could put his hand on Theo's shoulder, but he didn't. He didn't want to make the chimera want to run away anymore than he probably already did. 

Theo stayed still before shaking his head, finally admitting the secret that had slipped his mind in the midst of everything. Liam felt his chest constrict and ache, but he kept a brave face on for Theo, who just looked so...broken. This time, Liam did put his hand on Theo's shoulder, not missing the flinch that ran through Theo's body at the touch. Still, he was relieved that he didn't pull away.  Why didn't he tell anyone? Liam thought. Tell me? It took him a second to remember that Theo probably didn't consider him as much as a friend as Liam did to him, and that Theo was unlikely to even tell him his favorite color. 

"Well, you're staying with me tonight, okay?" He said, posing the question so the chimera didn't really have much of a choice. All he did was look at him skeptically, and though he tried to hide it, a little fearfully, like he was expecting Liam to rip the rug out any second. Liam squoze his shoulder, once and then twice, something his own mother always did to calm him down. "Everyone deserves at least a bed to sleep in after this."

After that, Theo gave it easily enough, and Liam was relieved. He wasn't sure how else he could have tried to convince him; punching and yelling wasn't going to happen, not now, and hopefully not ever. With his heart still feeling heavy in his chest, Liam started to guide Theo towards where Melissa and the others were being treated. "Do you want to get that bullet out here?" Liam asked softly before they entered the room, almost forgetting how Theo felt about the people there, especially Melissa. 

Theo shook his head, and it made Liam feel sick. That was where an angry or sarcastic answer should have come, not just more silence that only added to how exhausted the chimera looked. He was straightened and tense, but Liam could tell he wanted to slump right over in his touch and was too unfamiliarized to do it. There were dark circles under his eyes like he hadn't slept in days, and it hit him too hard when he realized he probably hadn't. "Let's get you home, hmm?" Liam said, now pushing them in the direction of the main exit.

He made sure he couldn't hear any additional heartbeats or smell unfamiliar scents before he lead them out to Theo's truck, figuring Theo wouldn't want to leave it there. If Theo wasn't staying anywhere, he must have been sleeping in his truck, after all. Liam's suspicions were proven correct when he saw a pillow in the backseat, which Theo shoved away as harshly as he could with waning strength. 

To his surprise, Theo got into the passenger seat of his own car and pushed the keys to him across the dashboard before just about melting into the soft seat with tiredness. Liam briefly thought back to this isn't even a car key and smiled sadly, finding he liked this alternative a lot better than scrambling for keys. He wondered if Theo was thinking the same.

The car ride was silent save for a few rattly breaths, and it just then occurred to Liam that Theo was in pain. He had been shot in the shoulder. Shot in the shoulder saving you, Liam reminded himself as he took one hand off the wheel and gripped Theo's arm below the gunshot wound. "Don't-" Theo gasped, jolting in surprise, eyes blown wide when he felt the pain starting to seep out of him.

Liam took his hand off, stopping at the sign and looking over to Theo, who was now staring down at his lap. He watched Theo's throat bob as he swallowed nothing. Because you deserve the pain? Liam asked himself silently, but Theo seemed to get that Liam understood. They were at the stop sign far too long, but Liam waited a few more seconds before he put his hand back. This time, Theo let him, and the dull ache started to run out. You don't.

Theo's pain was gone by the time they pulled into Liam's driveway, but he still reeked of hurt and anxiety, filling the entire truck with the bitter scent. He shut the car off, and not even the gentle rumble of the old engine was there to keep them sane. Liam turned to look at him just a second before Theo. The chimera's eyes were shiny, and Liam knew it was killing him to show it. 

"What are we doing here, Liam?" Theo asked, surprising Liam with how tired and desperate it sounded, almost begging for an answer. Liam bit his lip.

"You're coming inside, and we're going to get the bullet out of your shoulder," Liam explained slowly and firmly again. "Take showers, and go to sleep. There's a comfortable chair in my room, and you take the bed."

"Liam-"

"Get out of the truck, Theo."

Theo looked at him frustratedly, glancing around for a few seconds before finally getting out of the car and going to where Liam was standing on the driveway. Liam smiled and started walking up to the house.

All of the lights were on, telling him his parents were still awake, but he wasn't worried. They wouldn't make him explain, no matter how much they wanted him to, until morning, especially when he had Theo with him. He knew they were sorry cases at that moment, so he expected to just have stricken looks and hugs thrown his way from his parents. All he had to do was apologize for not telling them, and he'd leave the talk for the morning.

Sure enough, he heard his parents running towards the door as soon as he turned his key in the lock, finding that it was already undone for him to come in. The light and smell of home hit them both, and Liam breathed it in with a sigh before his parents were right in front of them. His mother was out of breath and his father looked terrified, but neither of them had anything to say after taking them in.

Next to him, Theo's fear was back and pungent, and it didn't get any better when Jenna pulled him into a hug after Liam. The chimera's eyes widened and he stiffened, but didn't pull away. "Thank God you guys are okay," She breathed, looking both of them up and down. Liam knew she was biting her tongue pretty hard to keep from spitting questions at both of them, her instinct, but one she didn't like. The only one she let herself say was "Who's this?" to Liam.

"This is Theo," Liam said, putting his hand on Theo's arm, the chimera glancing down at it, evidently still not used to being touched. "He's a friend." 

Theo's heart skipped a beat while Liam's stayed steady in his chest, and the beta looked up at Theo with a small smile. One shaky breath, silently pleading Theo to accept it. "...He saved my life."

"Jesus Christ," Jenna gasped again, and her arms were around Theo once again. This time, Theo took the hint and raised his arms so she could hug him more comfortably and put them towards Jenna's sides, although awkwardly. Liam smiled at the two of them weakly, seeing the tearstains form in Theo's T-shirt from her eyes. "Thank you."

"It was no..." Theo trailed off. "Y-you're welcome."

David shook Theo's hand, but decided to screw it and hug him too, which made Liam laugh a little. Luckily, the both of them were too overcome with their emotions to notice the bullet hole in the back of Theo's shirt. "Alright," Jenna sniffed. "You two get to bed and sleep, for God's sake, but don't think you're getting out of an explanation tomorrow morning, Liam Dunbar."

"Yes, ma'am," Liam said, still joking with her. Jenna lightly smacked him on the face before kissing his cheek, and surprising the two boys by kissing Theo's next. Theo looked bewildered, so Liam figured that was their time to escape. "Come on," Liam whispered, leading him up the stairs.

He didn't mind Theo looking around with idle interest, even when his eyes landed on somewhat embarrassing baby pictures on the wall he'd forgotten about. He lead Theo into his room, and Theo paused in the doorway.

Liam couldn't smell his own scent, but he knew the room was probably full of him, more condensed than Theo's senses had to process before. He looked to him questioningly, wondering if Theo would come in at all, but oddly enough, he seemed to be calmed by it and stepped in slowly. At first breach of the doorway, it was like a dam broke and Theo was completely different. His muscles were still tense, but his heart stopped beating so damn fast and his movements were less jerky.

There was only the moonlight flickering in from the window and the subtle yellow from the hallway, and it illuminated Theo beautifully. He couldn't help but smile. He'd forgotten when he'd first started to think of Theo that way again, noticing how good he looked when he was calm and caring for something. It was probably another one of the things that came from the elevators. He looked great then, even covered in blood, and it made Liam feel grateful that this was even real. "We should get that bullet out," Liam said, breaking them both out of the dazes they hadn't noticed the other was in. Theo nodded stiffly and let Liam take him over to the bathroom.

Theo sat down on the floor after Liam was looking around for somewhere to go. "I might pass out," Theo explained weakly before Liam asked. "It's better to be on the floor so I don't fall."

He didn't explain why he knew he would faint, but Liam got the impression that he wouldn't want to know anyway. Whenever he remembered what Theo had been through even before Hell, he wanted to cry himself, and he felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. Manipulation and experimentation had obviously lead Theo to that conclusion, so he just nodded and knelt beside him.

Theo looked up at him, and even if he was fighting it, he still looked scared, so the beta made sure to be gentle with him. Liam prodded at the end of his shirt, motioning for him to take it off himself, since he didn't want to make it any worse for the chimera. He couldn't be distracted by Theo's body then and cringed at the bullet hole, immediately relieved that his parents hadn't seen it. They would have had a heart attack. "It looks like there's no wolfsbane," Liam told him, hesitantly touching the skin around the wound. Theo winced; his pain was back. "And it doesn't look too deep, either, so this is gonna be quick."

Theo screwed his eyes shut tight and nodded quickly, clenching his teeth. "Okay," he grit out. "Just do it."

Liam took a deep breath and braced his other hand on the chimera's back, planning on taking the pain if it became too much. He took one look down at his fingers before extending the claws and very carefully dipping into the cavity, listening to Theo groan in pain when he missed. He tapped the bullet and a new zing of pain flew through the chimera, which he noticed when Theo let out a small whimper and smacked a hand over his mouth, embarrassed. "It's okay," Liam said soothingly, or as much as he could manage with the stress. He got a grip on the edge of the bullet with his claws and started to pull. "I've almost got it."

Theo's hand dropped down from his mouth and his head tipped forward the slightest bit, pants falling from his lips. "Liam-" He groaned, his hand blindly searching around. Liam saw it and made the split decision to grab it with the hand that was on his back. Black lines started streaking up his arm a second later, a dull ache filling Liam's veins. "It's almost...out!" Liam said triumphantly, and Theo gasped when he felt Liam's claws quickly retract. The chimera's body was shaky and sweaty when he leaned back against Liam's chest, which was how he knew he was really close to blacking out since he was there so willingly. Liam wrapped the bullet up in toilet paper so no one would see the metal before tossing it in the trash. If his parents found it, he would just add it to the explanation. Theo was still panting and gasping for air, so Liam kept taking the pain until there wasn't any. 

Liam didn't mind taking the pain for himself if it meant that Theo got to feel good for once. After what he had shown that night and those before, all of the pieces falling into place, he deserved to have at least one night that he could rest well and be without any anguish. He was going to make tonight that night, and if he could, the rest of them. "You're okay," Liam whispered in Theo's ear as he started to heal himself, and the dizzy feeling soon left. Theo sat back up and Liam came with him.

"T-thank you," Theo wheezed, glancing back at him with tearful eyes. 

In that moment, Liam was hit by the overwhelming urge to lean down just the slightest bit and kiss him, which if he were being honest with himself, only surprised him a little. He thought Theo was going to do it in the elevator when he looked at his lips, but he had gone right back out and saved his life for the second and third time that night, which was worth so much more. Theo had done so much for him, and it was only natural that Liam would have been the idiot to fall. The only thing about it that really surprised him was just who he was, and not Theo; before Hayden left and Theo had started working with him, he thought he had known for sure he was straight, but now he hadn't even thought about girls at all.

Theo had turned away, but his head was still resting on Liam's chest. "You want to get in the shower?" Liam asked quietly, seeing that his wound had completely sealed itself shut. Theo nodded and got up shakily, Liam there to make sure he wouldn't fall. 

"I'm, uh, fine from here," Theo said when Liam opened the glass door for him, a little bit of that sarcastic spark back in his tone. Liam's eyes widened when he realized what he was doing and took his hand off, coughing once. Liam took that as his cue to leave.

He sat down on his bed, the queen-size never feeling so inviting, but he didn't lay back. He heard the shower start up and hoped that Theo was comfortable before he got back up to get some clothes for him out of his dresser. He had a few things that were a little big for him length-wise, but he could imagine Theo still being a little small for them. Even if he was taller, he was a bit more slender than Liam was, so he kept it in mind as he put out some clothes for him to wear. 

He waited until the water stopped running to knock on the door and hand them to him, his face that showed through the crack of the door looking grateful again. When he stepped out of the bathroom, Liam took a breath. The shirt was just a little bit too big for him and the sweatpants fit just right, but he was focused more on how soft he looked now that the blood and crust was all off. His hair fell in adorable little ringlets on his forehead that Liam wanted to run his fingers through, and the thought made Liam's heart skip in his chest. Somehow best of all, he smelled like Liam's shampoo and body wash along with his clothes, all wrapped up in everything Liam. He smiled at Theo. "You can go ahead to bed if you want," He said, motioning towards the bed before shuffling into the bathroom.

The door creaked as he shut it behind him, and he closed his eyes, leaning on the door. God, did he wish they would have just kissed in the elevator. It had been so compelling then and then again when Theo was being taken care of just twenty minutes before, but now he looked so inviting and he just wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him like he'd been meaning to do for weeks, since ever since the zoo, things had changed.

He vaguely heard Theo shuffling around his room and was briefly afraid that he was going to leave. He listened closely for the sound of his doorknob turning, since it was always louder when you were trying to be sneaky, but heard nothing. After that, he rushed into the shower and went through the motions without much hesitation, even though his poor muscles could've definitely used the hot water on them. He washed himself and his hair until the water was finally clear, which wasn't easy with so little time, and got dressed. The feeling of clean clothes was somewhat unfamiliar after all they had been through.

Theo was laying in bed on one side when he came out of the bathroom, his hands pressed under his head and back turned to Liam. Since he couldn't see it, he allowed himself to smile softly as he went towards the cushiony chair in the corner of his room by the TV. He settled down in it and closed his eyes, tossing his legs over one side of the chair like he had done before when he let people take his bed during sleepovers. 

He thought about Theo while he tried to fall asleep. Out of everything, literally everything that had happened that day, he was somehow the most frazzling. He told him he didn't care, that Liam could die and he wouldn't feel anything about it, but then showed up out of nowhere to pull him into an elevator and push him out of the way of bullets, getting shot for him. He was confusing, angering, and his anchor, and Liam just couldn't help but want to be with him. 

He was about to drop off to sleep when he heard Theo speak up. "Liam?" He asked, almost too quietly for him to hear. In the distance, Jenna and David's door closed. 

"Yeah?" Liam asked, for whatever reason nervous.

"Don't sleep in the chair," Theo rushed out like it was hurting him to say, and Liam's eyes opened all the way. He glanced over at the chimera who had his arm pushing the other side of the blankets down, and he was in a state of disbelief as he dumbly walked over. Theo swallowed air and blinked up at him when Liam approached the side of the bed, once again scared.

Liam didn't ever want to see Theo looking that fearful again, not because of him, so he slid in as smoothly as possible over his own anxiety. They were all of the sudden closer than they had been before that wasn't being wrapped up in each other, and Liam wasn't sad to say that it was...intimate. Nice. "I-is this okay?" Liam asked, and Theo nodded, his eyes still open.

The beta had expected Theo to turn away, but he didn't. He instead tried to shut his eyes, leaving Liam looking at fluttering eyelids and lashes instead of the deep green underneath. While he was trying to fall asleep or at least act like it, Liam could hear his heart racing. 

He decided to take a risk, and if Theo hit him for it, it was okay. One of Theo's hands were now down resting on the bed, and he slowly slid his own underneath to meet it. Just like when Liam was getting the bullet, Theo's hand fidgeted a little before understanding what it was supposed to do, and their fingers linked together. The chimera's breath caught in his throat and Liam found that he loved the noise. 

His heartbeat increased in speed before it slowed down, so much that Liam was afraid he was being overwhelming. He didn't open his mouth and just watched as Theo turned around - and held onto his hand a little tighter.

Liam squoze it once, twice, and he could hear a muffled sigh from Theo into his pillow. He smiled to himself, just watching Theo's chest rise and fall, waiting for it to finally slow down into sleep. Theo tossed and turned again before he settled, this time facing Liam.

His eyes were closed, and Liam's own eyes dropped down to Theo's lips, slightly parted and pink. Fuck. All of the thoughts about the elevator came flooding back into his head, interrupting the calm and sleepiness he'd felt seconds before, and he couldn't help but go right back to the scene. Theo's arms wrapped around him felt so good when they shouldn't have, the idea of being on the brink of danger and being saved sending a thrill through him. He'd hit the wall of the elevator and Theo's chest, and in that moment, he felt more secure than he had been in a long time. If he didn't already feel this way for Theo before, that had sealed the deal.

Then Theo glanced at his lips and Liam had looked away out of his own nervousness, and Hell, a groan was bubbling up in Liam's throat even as he thought about it. "Hey, Theo?" He asked, a low whisper. Theo cracked one eye open.

"Yeah?"

"You ever think about how people always reference 'elevator music' but there's never been music in any elevators you've been in?'

Theo opened both of his eyes and his brow furrowed, but the slight tip to the corner of his lips told Liam he wasn't mad. "Did you just wake me up to tell me that?"

"Well, I guess I've been thinking about elevators a lot lately."

Theo paused at that and his smile gently faded, eyes widening. "Yeah," Theo breathed, nodding just the slightest bit, and Liam swore his heart jumped up into his throat. The chimera's eyes dropped back down to his lips again, and at that moment, Liam knew they thinking about the same things.

The chimera took one deep breath as he looked at Liam, eyes flicking up and down too quickly to count how many times, and Liam, exhausted but wanting, started to lean forward. Theo gave the ghost of a gasp when he realized what Liam was doing, but didn't move at all. 

Their foreheads brushed together first, breathing in each other's air and closing both sets of their eyes, just waiting for one of them to finally move. 

Liam was the one to do it, tilting his head and catching Theo's lips with his own, softly at first and then firmly when Theo didn't pull away, and it was like pure ecstasy was coursing through him when Theo melted into it and kissed him back. Liam's heart pounded as Theo slowly opened his lips to let Liam in, and they both moaned softly when Theo rose his hand to touch Liam's cheek. As much as Liam wanted to break away and tell Theo all he had been thinking, he couldn't let himself lose what was happening then. 

Theo's arms made their way around him, one over his middle and another hooking around his neck, his hand in the top of Liam's hair that was getting more messed up by the second, and the beta loved it. Liam tangled his fingers in the hair on the back of Theo's head, but when the burn in their lungs got too harsh, he pulled away with a gasp.

Looking into Theo's wide eyes, Liam finally felt weightless. While the world dragged him down, being wrapped up in Theo's arms like this made him feel like he was flying above everything else, above every supernatural and human threat out there, above school and the ones who hurt him. Here, he had exactly what he needed. With a tiny smile from Theo, Liam remembered something he said before they got back to the house.

"you don't have to use the one thing I need to make me see it-"

Liam startled at the realization and leaned back in before Theo could ask what was wrong. Theo needed this just as much as he did, and he would give it to him no matter what. Theo's thumb brushed against Liam's cheekbone as they kissed for the second time, hearts once again speeding up before slowing altogether. 

"We should go to sleep," Liam whispered when Theo pulled away and rested their foreheads together, unable to find the words. Theo blinked at him, and Liam could read the appreciation in it. "We'll talk in the morning."

"Okay," Theo breathed, nodding his head against Liam's and finally letting himself let go. "Okay."

__

Liam woke up with sore limbs and a heavy feeling in his eyes, but as soon as he saw Theo, he forgot about it all.

Two wide green eyes were staring at him apprehensively, waiting for him to wake up. The chimera must have remembered what he said before they fell asleep, but Liam knew they wouldn't be talking so soon.

Liam smiled at him. As nervous as he looked, like he was afraid Liam was going to kick him out any minute or tell him to get lost, he still looked as beautiful as ever with the blankets all gathered around him and his face flushed from sleep. This close and in the sunlight, he could see a few tiny freckles under his eyes, something neither of them had thought about before but sure enough Liam's new obsession. He wanted to kiss every one of them until his cheeks were pinker than his nose, and he planned to later.

Theo opened his mouth, probably to ask his name, but Liam pushed off his elbows and kissed him just as softly but passionately on the mouth as he did the night before. The chimera tensed with surprise for just a second before he fell into rhythm again and pulled Liam closer.

The blankets pooled around them as they kissed, sweetly and desperately, and the feeling of it all swept Liam up in a daze. They broke away with a tiny little noise coming from their lips, and for the first time that Liam ever saw, Theo gave him the toothiest, biggest, and most beautiful smile he'd ever seen as he ran his hand through Liam's bedhead. "Good morning," Theo whispered, all traces of nervousness gone as he came up to kiss him again. When he faced him again, he looked contemplative. "...baby?" he asked, uncertain.

Liam burst out into laughter and buried his face in Theo's sleep shirt, feeling the rumble of Theo's laugh as well through his chest. "God, I'm happy," Liam admitted, wiping away little tears of laughter. It was as if they hadn't just been fighting, all of the fears and stress melted away. 

"Yeah," Theo agreed, reaching up to brush a piece of hair out of Liam's face. "But I do believe there was a talk with your parents involved in this equation."

Liam groaned softly, but his smile didn't fall. "We can pretend to be asleep for a little longer," Liam said, shuffling back down into the sheets. Theo kissed the top of his head, already accepting that they were going to fall asleep.

For now, all they had around them were warm sheets and each other, enough to let them be content and at ease. Liam inhaled Theo's scent, which he laughed at, but they both drifted off to sleep soon after, just taking each other in and pulling the blankets up to their chins.

Ocean water, porch light, warm blankets.